Shirred girdle

ABSTRACT

A garment of the girdle type is formed of material having the characteristic of stretchability in multiple directions. A double panel of the material is provided at control areas which overlie selected body regions, the panels being secured to one another. At least one strip of shirring is gathered in the double panel, and means is provided to secure the shirrs in the strip.

United States Patent 1191 Dabe Nov. 27, 1973 [54] SHIRRED GIRDLE 2,971,197 2/1961 Nachman... 2/76 2,694,200 11/1954 Pierce 2/75 [75] Inventor. Dolores T. Dabe, New York, NY. 2,794,187 6/19-57 Edelmanw 2/67 Assignee: Poirette Corsets Inc Barrnon NY 2,617,113 11/1952 Hardle 2/237 I 2,030,746 2/1936 Galligan et al 2/67 X [22] Filed: Apr. 12, 1972 2,736,029 2 1956 Diogene 128 540 2,522,510 9/1950 Fridolph 128/540 X pp No! 243,341 2,558,099 6 1951 Palen 128/540 x FOREIGN PATENTS OR APPLICATIONS "3: :63: 523,893 7 1940 Great Britain 128/540 [58] Field of Search ..128/539547,

128/548, 550-552, 549, 445, 579, 528; 52 3 g???- j 112/412, 427, 134; 2/221, 237, 67, 7s, e e

[57] ABSTRACT [56] References Cited A garment of the girdle type is formed of material NIT STATES PATENTS having the characteristic of stretchability in multiple 750,983 2/ 1904 Kendrick 128/540 X directions. A double panel of the material is provided 2,621,331 12/1952 Loretto at control areas which overlie selected body regions, 3,064,269 11/1962 Scheitlin the panels being secured to one another. At least one 5 3 7/ 1951 Laszlo strip of shirring is gathered in the double panel, and

means is provided to secure the shirrs in the strip. 3:298:373 l 1967 Marchisella..... 3 Claims, 7 Drawing Figures 1,595 ,051 8/1926 George 2,343,614 3/1944 Harpham 614,609 I 11/1898 Dempsey 112/427 Patented Nov. 27, 1973 3,774,621

2 Sheets- -Shoet 1 FIG. 4

I I I 5 a SHIRRED GIRDLE BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION Girdles have the function of exercising controlled restraint on the wearer by applying a resilient contractive force against the wearers body. It is desirable to increase this control or restraint in certain selected regions of the girdle, such as the waist, while maintaining the resilient contractive effect of the girdle in these regions so as to provide an alive control.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION This invention is concerned with an improved girdle that incorporates shirrs in the girdle material so as to provide the increased control in the selected regions. The shirrs are so formed that they extend outwardly of the girdle material when the material is unstretched with the outermost portions of the shirrs lying on axes that are transverse to a direction in which the material can stretch. The shirrs are flattened out when the girdle material is stretched during the wearing of the girdle to thus provide an increased contractive force of the girdle material so as to provide the increased control or restraint.

While it is known in the prior art, as examplified by U.S. Pat. Nos. 1,462,279, 2,324,856, 2,561,312, and 2,616,086, to provide shirrs in garments to enable the garments to expand, it is belived't o'b matarsrrrthe shirrs in a stretchable girdle material in the manner described above so as to provide for the increased control or restraint in selected regions of the girdle.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING FIG. 1 shows a girdle of the invention as it is being worn;

FIG. 2 is a view of a portion of the girdle of FIG. 1 with the girdle in unstretched flattened condition;

FIG. 3 is a view, to an enlarged scale, of a portion of the exterior of the girdle;

FIG. 4 is a view similar to FIG. 3, but showing the interior of the girdle;

FIG. 5 is a section taken on the line 5-5 of FIG. 3;

FIG. 6 is a view similar to FIG. 3 showing a modified girdle construction; and

FIG. 7 is a view similar to FIG. 4 showing the girdle construction of FIG. 6.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS FIG. 1 shows a girdle in the form of a corselet. As shown in FIGS. 2-5, the corselet incorporates a section or main fabric panel of two-way stretch elastic fabric 12 that is stretchable in multiple directions in the plane of the fabric and has memory so that when a stretching force is released the fabric reverts to its original unstretched condition. An inner ply or panel 14 of twoway stretch fabric is sewed to the fabric 12 by stitches l6 and by stitched borders 17 to thereby form a two-ply zone 18 of the elastic fabric comprising superposed panels. Elastic bands 20 extend across the zone 18 inwardly of the inner fabric ply 14. The elastic bands 20 are stretchable in the directions of their lengths and also have memory so that they revert to their original unstretched condition when a stretching force is released. Stitches 22 are employed to attach the fabric plies 12 and 14 and the bands 20 to each other in such a manner as to form strips of shirrs or folds 24 in the fabric plies l2 and 14 that extend outwardly of the girdle, the stitches 22 holding the material formed by the fabric plies l2 and 14 in shirred condition in the unstretched condition of the fabric plies and the bands 20. The strips of shirrs 24 extend away from the periphery of the zone 18 formed by the stitches l6 and the borders 17 so that parts of the strips are spaced from the zone periphery. The outermost portions 25 (FIG. 5) of the shirrs 24 lie on axes that are transverse to the direction of stretch of the bands 20 and, of course, transverse to one of the directions of stretch of the fabric plies l2 and 14.

When the girdle is put on, the two-way stretch fabric, in the known manner, acts as a restraint that is stretched by the wearers body and applies a resilient contractive force to the body to thus apply a control to the body and reshape the body where needed. The zone 18, having two plies of the elastic fabric, provides an additional restraint. The strips of shirrs 24, which are stretched flat pursuant to the stretching of the fabric plies 12, 14 and the bands 20 in directions transverse to the axes of the outermost shirr portions 25 when the girdle is worn as shown in FIG. 1, provide a still further restaint in the selected regions of the girdle wherein they are formed by resisting expansion of the elastic fabric and thus providing an increased control or contractive force where it is needed. In the girdle of FIGS. 1-5, the shirrs 24 provide this increased control in the waist, but it can be provided elsewhere if desired such as in the buttocks. While the strips of shirrs 24 have been shown as extending along inclined lines, they may be applied vertically, horizontally or in any other desired pattern. The elastic bands 20 provide comfort to the wearer in the shirred regions by preventing the shirred fabric from unduly pressing against the wearer's body. Since the shirred fabric is flexible and elastic, it provides an alive control that shifts and yields with the movement of the wearer, thus providing comfort despite the increased restraint imparted by the shirrs.

While the forming of the shirrs by shirring a plurality of plies of the two-way stretch elastic fabric to the band 20 provides the greatest degree of control, it is within the purview of this invention to:

a. eliminate the inner ply 14 of fabric and have only a single ply 12 of fabric that is shirred to the band 20;

b. eliminate the band 20 and shirr the two plies of fabric 12, 14 to each other;

c. eliminate the inner ply 14 of fabric and the band 20 and form the shirrs directly in the outer ply 12;

d. eliminate the band 20 and form the shirrs in the outer ply 12, but not in the inner ply 14; and

e. make the inner ply and/or the outer ply of a oneway stretch fabric whose direction of stretch is transverse to the axes of the outermost shirr portions, and provide all the variations of paragraphs (a) through (d).

While the drawing shows the invention as incroporated in a corselet, it may be incorporated in any type of girdle or bra as, for example, a panty girdle.

In the modification of FIGS. 6 and 7, a pair of parallel spaced elastic threads 30, instead of the band 20, are located inwardly of the inner ply 14 and shirrs 32 so that their outermost portions lie on axes that are transverse to the threads 30. The fabric plies l2 and 14 and the elastic thread 30 are secured to each other by stitches 34 so as to hold the material formed by the fabric plies 12 and 14 in shirred condition in the unstretched condition of the fabric plies and the threads 30. The threads 30 may be secured to the fabric plies 12 and/or 14 in the variations set forth above in subparagraphs (a) and (e) and may be located to provide shirrs in the same variety of locations in the garment as those described above with respect to the bands 20.

I claim:

1. A garment of the girdle type for the application of compressive control to selected body regions, the garment comprising:

a garment main fabric panel having an inner surface and an outer surface, the garment main fabric panel being formed of a material which is stretchable in multiple directions upon the application of an expansive force thereto and which returns to unstretched condition upon termination of the expansive force;

an inner fabric panel formed of said material and formed to overlie one of the selected body regions, the fabric panel having opposite inner and outer faces;

the inner fabric panel being secured in superposed relation to the garment main fabric panel, with the inner face of the inner fabric panel against the inner surface of the garment main fabric panel;

at least one strip of continuous shirrs gathered in the superposed fabric panels, said strip being linear and extending across the superposed panels;

said shirrs being secured to an elongated strip of elastic material having a lengthwise extent and secured to the outer face of the inner fabric panel; and

the shirrs each comprising a fold of said material which, in the unstretched condition of the material, extends outwardly of the remainder of the material, the fold including an outermost portion occupying an axis transverse to a direction of stretch of the material and transverse to the lengthwise extent of the strip of elastic material, the shirrs being extendable with the strip, the extension of the shirrs to flattened condition serving to increase the compressive force of the panels within said regions.

2. The invention of claim 1, wherein:

a plurality of said strips are provided, arranged in crossed relation to one another.-

3. A garment of the girdle type for the application of compressive control to selected body regions, the garment comprising:

a garment main fabric panel having an inner surface and an outer surface, the garment main fabric panel being formed of a material which is stretchable in multiple directions upon the application of an expansive force thereto and which returns to unstretched condition upon termination of the expansive force;

an inner fabric panel formed of said material and formed to overlie one of the selected body regions, the panel having opposite inner and outer faces;

the inner fabric panel being secured in superposed relation to the garment main fabric panel, with the inner face of the inner fabric panel against the inner surface of the garment main fabric panel;

at least one strip of continuous shirrs gathered in the superposed fabric panels, said strip being linear and extending across the superposed panels;

means securing the shirrs in said strip, said means being elastic; and

the shirrs each comprising a fold of said material which, in the unstretched condition of the material, extends outwardly of the remainder of the material, the fold including an outermost portion occupying an axis transverse to a direction of stretch of the material and transverse to the lengthwise extent of the securing means, the shirrs being extendable in the direction of the strip, and the extension of the shirrs to flattened condition constantly urging the securing means to retracted position. 

1. A garment of the girdle type for the application of compressive control to selected body regions, the garment comprising: a garment main fabric panel having an inner surface and an outer surface, the garment main fabric panel being formed of a material which is stretchable in multiple directions upon the application of an expansive force thereto and which returns to unstretched condition upon termination of the expansive force; an inner fabric panel formed of said material and formed to overlie one of the selected body regions, the fabric panel having opposite inner and outer faces; the inner fabric panel being secured in superposed relation to the garment main fabric panel, with the inner face of the inner fabric panel against the inner surface of the garment main fabric panel; at least one strip of continuous shirrs gathered in the superposed fabric panels, said strip being linear and extending across the superposed panels; said shirrs being secured to an elongated strip of elastic material having a lengthwise extent and secured to the outer face of the inner fabric panel; and the shirrs each comprising a fold of said material which, in the unstretched condition of the material, extends outwardly of the remainder of the material, the fold including an outermost portion occupying an axis transverse to a direction of stretch of the material and transverse to the lengthwise extent of the strip of elastic material, the shirrs being extendable with the strip, the extension of the shirrs to flattened condition serving to increase the compressive force of the panels within said regions.
 2. The invention of claim 1, wherein: a plurality of said strips are provided, arranged in crossed relation to one another.
 3. A garment of the girdle type for the application of compressive control to selected body regions, the garment comprising: a garment main fabric panel having an inner surface and an outer surface, the garment main fabric panel being formed of a material which is stretchable in multiple directions upon the application of an expansive force thereto and which returns to unstretched condition upon termination of the expansive force; an inner fabric panel formed of said material and formed to overlie one of the selected body regions, the panel having opposite inner and outer faces; the inner fabric panel being secured in superposed relation to the garment main fabric panel, with the inner face of the inner fabric panel against the inner surface of the garment main fabric panel; at least one strip of continuous shirrs gathered in the superposed fabric panels, said strip being linear and extending across the superposed panels; means securing the shirrs in said strip, said means being elastic; and the shirrs each comprising a fold of said material which, in the unstretched condition of the material, extends outwardly of the remainder of the material, the fold including an outermost portion occupying an axis transverse to a direction of stretch of the material and transverse to the lengthwise extent of the securing means, the shirrs being extendable in the direction of the strip, and the extension of the shirrs to flattened condition constantly urging the securing means to retracted position. 